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Indonesia Seizes 255 Vessels for Illegal Fishing in 2025 and Intensifies Maritime Surveillance

INDONESIA
Friday, November 07, 2025, 06:00 (GMT + 9)

KKP Prevents $47 Million in Potential Losses and Warns of Legal Consequences in Key Areas like Natuna and Sulawesi

BATAM — The Indonesian government has intensified its efforts against Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) fishing, with the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (KKP) announcing the seizure of 255 boats across the archipelago's waters between January and November 2025.

The Director General of Marine and Fisheries Resources Monitoring for the KKP, Pung Nugroho Saksono (known as Ipunk), revealed the figure in Batam, Riau Islands Province, emphasizing the government's commitment to protecting its maritime sovereignty and resources.

Director General of Marine and Fisheries Resources Supervision of the Marine Affairs and Fisheries Ministry Pung Nugroho Saksono delivers press statements regarding measures against illegal fishing in Batam, Riau Islands, on Thursday. ANTARA/Laily Rahmawaty

Of the total seizures, 22 were foreign vessels, with the rest being domestic boats. The KKP has also succeeded in thwarting a potential economic loss to the state valued at approximately 774.3 billion rupiah (about 47 million US dollars) due to these illicit practices through May 2025 alone.

Hotspots and Vessel Origin

Director General Saksono identified the waters of Natuna and Sulawesi as the most susceptible to incursions by foreign vessels.

• North Natuna Sea: This area, part of Indonesia's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) in the disputed South China Sea, saw the seizure of 41 vessels so far this year. These included 35 Indonesian ships and 6 foreign vessels, specifically five from Vietnam and one from Malaysia.

• Foreign Origin: The foreign vessels seized primarily originate from neighboring countries, with notable cases involving boats from Vietnam and Malaysia, and previous detections also including Philippines and China.

Exclusive economic zone of Indonesia and the critical area of Natuna y Sulawesi 

The Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, Sakti Wahyu Trenggono, has instructed the KKP to intensify surveillance across Indonesia's vast territorial waters to curb economic losses and, crucially, to improve the welfare of fishermen and coastal communities.

Dual Sanctions for Domestic and Foreign Offenders

The KKP applies a dual sanction regime to address different types of offenses:

• Foreign Vessels: Face legal and criminal proceedings. The largest seizure in the past decade was a 754 GT trawler from the Philippines in the Pacific Ocean in August 2025, estimated to have a catch capacity of up to 400 tons per operation, mostly juvenile tuna, causing severe ecosystem damage.

  

Foreign fishing boats whose holds are being filled with water to sink them

• The persistence of IUU fishing directly undermines the growth of Indonesia's legal fishing sector, which saw a robust 2% increase in overall production during the first quarter of 2025, boosting national food security and economic contribution. The KKP's vigorous actions are vital to sustaining this positive trajectory.

Domestic Vessels: Will be subject to administrative sanctions, which usually involve paying fines to the state. These sanctions are imposed for violating fishing zone regulations, such as operating within the 12 nautical miles zone reserved for smaller boats or fishing in the North Natuna Sea with permits valid only for the Java Sea.

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